Exhaust apparatus and head therefor



July 14, 1964 B. CHAUVIN EXHAUST APPARATUS AND HEAD THEREF'OR 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 23 1961 FIG. I.

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July 14, 1964 B. CHAUVIN 3,140,734

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Filed Feb. 25 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 7

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4a.., 46,., 4o 4s United States Patent O 3,140,734 EXHAUST APPARATUS AND HEAD THEREFR Bernard Chauvin, Cedar Grove, NJ., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 91,172 Claims. (Cl. 141-66) The present invention relates to exhaust machines and, more particularly, to an improved exhaust machine for high pressure electric lamps and discharge devices and to an improved head for such an exhaust machine.

Heretofore, exhaust machines (of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,254,905, issued Sept. 2, 1941, to D. Mullan and in U.S. Patent No. 2,808,857, issued Oct. 8, 1957, to I. B. Yoder) have utilized one sweep (connecting the exhaust head to the rotary exhaust valve) for evacuation of an electric lamp and another sweep (similarly connecting the exhaust head to the rotary exhaust valve) for the gas filling of electric lamps and discharge devices.

However, when the electric lamp is filled with a gas at a pressure above 1500 mm. of mercury, such high pressure lifts the movable portion of the rotary exhaust valve away from the stationary portion of such rotary exhaust valve with resultant fouling of both the exhaust sweeps and gas filling sweeps with ambient air and in some cases with lubricating oil normally disposed between the valve portions. As a result, the exhaust machine must be shut down, disassembled, cleaned and reassembled before normal operation is resumed. This reconditioning operation is both time consuming and expensive from the labor standpoint. Additionally, in the gas filling of high pressure phototiash lamps with oxygen, mixtures of oxygen and the lubricating oil are subject to spontaneous combustion and resultant explosions.

It is the general object of the presentinvention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difiiculties of and objections to prior art practices by the provision of an improved exhaust machine which prevents contamination of the evacuating and gas filling means with deleterious ambient air and lubricating oil and which reduces shut down time and maintenance expense.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved exhaust machine for photoiiash lamps, which exhaust machine eliminates the formation of mixtures of oxygen and lubricating oil in the evacuating and gas filling means thereby preventing spontaneous combustion of such mixtures.

A further object of the present invention is the provsion of an improved head for an exhaust machine, which head prevents evacuation of the gas filling apparatus by the evacuating means of the exhaust machine.

The aforesaid objects of the present invention, and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved by providing an improved head for an exhaust machine, which head comprises a cornpression rubber assembly for hermetically securing a hollow member which is to be exhausted, a first conduit means connected to the compression rubber assembly, a second conduit means also connected to the compression rubber assembly, a first operating means disposed adjacent the first conduit means for closing off the first conduit means, a second operating means associated with the second conduit means for shutting off the second conduit means, and locking means operatively disposed adjacent the first operating means and the second operating means for preventing the first operating means and the second operating means from opening the first conduit means and the second conduit means at the same time.

The improved exhaust machine comprises a rotatable turret, the above mentioned head carried by the turret for hermetically securing a hollow member which is to be "ice exhausted, coupling means rotatable with the turret, the first conduit means for connecting the head to the coupling means, valve means rotatable with the turret, and the second conduit means for connecting the head to the valve means.

For a better understanding of the present invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view along the line I--I of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows of an oxygen filling station of an exhaust machine for high pressure photofiash lamps;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the oxygen filling station and adjacent stations of the exhaust machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view along the line III-III of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional View along the line IV-IV of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional View along the line V-V of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows and showing the means for pinching off the oxygen line, which oxygen line is in the open position;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 along the line VI-VI of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows and showing the means for pinching off the vacuum line, which vacuum line is in the closed position;

FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional View along the line VII- VII of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows of the means for operating the compression rubber assembly;

FIG. 8 is a perspective View of a movable cam which is part of the means for operating the compression rubber assembly;

FIG. 9 is a development of the stationary cams and the movable cam for the means for operating the compression rubber assembly and showing such movable cam in the down position whereby the compression rubber assembly is closed;

FIG. 10 is a View similar to FIG. 9 showing the movable cam in the up position whereby the compression rubber assembly is opened;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevational view (partially in section) of a device for controlling the flow of oxygen into the photoflash lamp;

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic plan view of the exhaust machine.

Although the principles of the present invention are broadly applicable to the high pressure gas filling of electric lamps and discharge devices, the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with the high pressure oxygen filling of photoflash lamps and hence it has been so illustrated and will be so described.

With specific reference to the form of the present invention illustrated in the drawings, and referring particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a turret of an exhaust machine, which turret 10 carries fifty-four heads 12, and is rotatable on a standard 14. The duplexed heads 12 are indexable, two heads at a time, through a like-number of stations by a conventional indexing mechanism (not shown, but of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,569,852, issued October 2, 1951, to I. H. Green).

At Stations 1 and 2 (FIG. 12) a photoflash lamp 16 (FIG. 1) is loaded into an open compression rubber assembly 18 and such compression rubber assembly 1S is then closed (FIGS. 3 and 4) about an exhaust tubulation 20 of the photoflash lamp 16.

Compression Rubber Assembly As shown in FIG. 3, each compression rubber assembly 18 has a body 22 which is limitedly vertically reciprocable in a stationary lower cam 24, the stationary lower cam 24 being mounted in the turret 10 and also serving as a bearing for the body 22. This body 22 is provided with a central bore 26 which connects a compression rubber receiving cavity 28 in one end of the body 22 with the interior of a hollow head portion 3G) carried by the other end of such body 22. In order to provide means for retaining (and later compressing) a compression rubber 32 in the compression rubber receiving cavity 28, a retaining plate 34 is positioned in the compression rubber receiving cavity 2S by a plug 36, which plug 36 is threadably secured to the lower stationary cam 24.

The means utilized to reciprocate the body 22 between the down position (FIG. 3) wherein the compression rubber 32 is compressed about the tubulation 2d of the photoflash lamp 16 and the up position (not shown) comprises a movable cam 33 (FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 78) rotatable on a shouldered mid-portion of the body 22 and disposed between the aforementioned lower stationary cam 24 and an upper stationary cam 41D. The stationary carns 24 and 4? are maintained in spaced relation to each other by spacers 42 and 44 (FIGS. 3 and 7). In order to enable the movable cam 38 to reciprocate the body 22, such movable cam 3S (FIGS. 7-10) is provided with three equispaced upper cam surfaces 46a (which each engage a cooperating cam surface 46st! onV the upper stationary cam 411) and three equispaced lower cam surfaces 46L (which each engage a cooperating cam surface 46SL on the lower stationary cam 24).

After an exhaust tubulation 2t) of a photoiiash lamp 16 has been inserted through the plug 36 into the compression rubber 32 and an inner guide48, a springbiased plunger Stic (FIG. 7) is moved by conventional operating means (not shown) from the dotted-line position shown in FIG. 7 into engagement with a roller 52C on the movable cam 38 thus causing relative rotary movement of the movable cam 33 through a distance 61, FIG. 9 (with respect to the upper stationary cam 4t) and lower stationary cam 24), from the position shown in FIG. to the position shown in FIG. 9 with resultant downward movement of the movable cam 3S through a distance dlf This downward movement d1 of the movable cam 38 and the body 22 carried thereby compresses (and vhermetically seals) the compression rubber 32 about the exhaust tubulation 29.'

From Stations 3 and 4 (FIG. 12) through Stations 35 and 36 the duplexed heads 12 are exhausted by an evacuating means.

Evacaazz'ng Means As shown in FIG. 4, a first conduit means or tlexible vacuum tube 54 is disposed within each head 12 and extends from the head portion 390i each head 12 to a vacuum line 56. This vacuum line 56 (FIGS. 1 and 2) connects the exible tube 54 (through a trap 58) to a movable portion 6() of a rotary exhaust valve of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,113,798, issued April 12, 1938, to D. Mullan. A line 62 connects a stationary portion 64 of the rotary exhaust valve to a suitable pump (not shown) but of the type shown in US. Patent No. 1,623,315, issued April 5, 1927, to I. R. Kinney.

At the end of the dwell of the duplexed heads 12 at Stations 35 and 36, the vacuum tube 54 is closed ofi within `the head 12 (as now described) by a iirst operating means, such as a vacuum line pinch clamp means.

Vacuum Line Pinch Clamp /Ieans Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, this vacuum line pinch clamp means has an operating lever 66 pivoted at 68 and carries an operating roller 70 which is engageable with a pinch clamp lever 72 pivoted at 74 Within a cavity 76v in the head 12. Movement of a spring-biased plunger 78e (from the left-hand dotted-line position shown in FIG. 6 into engagement with a roller 80e and to the righthand dotted-line position shown in FIG. 6) causes the operating roller 7@ to ride along an arcuate surface 32 on the pinch clamp lever '72 to the position shown in FIG. 6 against a stop 83 where the pinch clamp lever 72 has sealed ott the vacuum tube 54.

It will be understood that during this movement of the operating roller 70 and pinch clamp lever 72, these moving parts pass through a dead center position (not shown) but deined by the position wherein the center C1 (of the pivot 63 for the operating lever 66); the center C2 (of the operating roller 79); and the center C3 (of a` lug 34 on the pinch clamp lever Fi2) all lie in a straight line. Beyond this dead-center position is the overcenter position, wherein the resistive force induced in the vacuum tube 54 during the pinching oli operation locks the lug 34 against the operating roller 70 (and the operating roller 7@ against the stop 83) to permit retraction of the plunger "/c at Stations 35 and 36 (FIG. 12) Without releasing the pinch-olir of tube 54 at this time.

After the duplexed heads 12 (and the phototlash lamps I6 carried thereby) have indexed into Stations 37 and 38 (FIG. 12) and at the beginning of the dwell, a second conduit means, such as a flexible oxygen tube S6 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 6), disposed Within each head 12 adjacent the vacuum line 54 (and connected to the head portion 3), FIGS. 3 and 4) is opened by operation of a second operating means, such as an oxygen line pinch clamp means, to permit oxygen filling of the photoash lamps 16 at a pressure of about 150() mm. of mercury.

Oxygen Line Pinch Clamp Means This oxygen line pinch clamp means (FIGS. 4, 5 and 6), which is similar to the vacuum line pinch clamp means, comprises an operating lever (FIG. 5) pivoted at 63 and provided with an operating roller 92 for engagement with an arcuate surface 94 on a pinch clamp lever 96, which pinch clamp lever 96 is pivoted at 98 within a cavity 76 in the head 12.

Movement of a plunger 10) from the solid-line position shown in FIG. 5 into engagement with aroller`102 and to the dotted-line position shown in FIG. 5, causes the operating roller 92 to ride along the arcuate surface 94 on the pinch clamp lever 96 in a counterclockwise direction to the position shown in FIG. 5. During this engagement of the operating roller 92 with the arcuate surface 94, the operating lever 9G, the operating roller 92 and a lug 1134 on the pinch clamp lever 96 pass through a dead center position defined by the alignment of the center Cl (of the pivot 68); the center CZ (of the operating roller 92); and the center Cg (of the lug 134) along a straight line. Beyond dead center position the resistive force induced in the oxygen line 86 during the pinching otf operation aids the plunger 100 in moving operating roller 92 and the operating lever 90 to the position shown in FIG. 5, where the oxygen line 86 is open to permit an oxygen supply means to till the phototiash lamps 16 with oxygen at a pressure of about 1500 mm. of mercury.

Oxygen S apply Means As shown in FIG. 4, the oxygen tube 86 connects the head portion 30 to an oxygen line 108 extending to a flow control device 169 (FIG. 11).

The flow control device 109 (FIG. 11) is of the type disclosed in U.S. patent application, Serial No. 55,025, tiled September 9, 1960, by I. R. Ardizzone et al., now abandoned, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Such iiow control device 109 is contained Within a flexible connector 112 for joining the oxygen line 1618 to an extension 114 of such oxygen line 108 and comprises a hollow metallic sleeve 116 provided with an aperture 118 of predetermined size and a screen 120. The aperture 118 is smaller than any other restrictive orilice in the oxygen supply means thereby permitting adjustment of the oxygen flow with respect to the aperture 11S as the limiting restriction in the oxygen supply means.

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This extension 114 of the oxygen line extends to an oxygen manifold 122, which manifold 122 is connected by another line 124 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and suitable connections, to a rotatable coupling 126, such rotatable coupling 126 being operable to contain the high pressure oxygen within the oxygen supply means while still permitting rotation of the line 124, oxygen manifold 122 etc. with the heads 12. This rotatable coupling 126 is mounted on a nipple 128 and is connected by a connector 130 to a stationary oxygen supply pipe 132, which oxygen supply pipe 132 extends axially through the stationary standard 14 of the exhaust machine to an oxygen supply (not shown).

In order to prevent opening of the flexible oxygen tube 86 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 6) while the vacuum tube 54 is open and the resultant formation of explosive mixtures in the evacuating means and attendant waste of oxygen, each head 12 is equipped with a novel safety or locking means (FIGS. 3 6).

Locking Means This locking means comprises a pin 136 (FIGS. 3, 5 and 6) which is reeiprocable in a hole 138 in each head 12 between the cavities 76v and 76. Such pin 136 is longer than the hole 138 and has a beveled lower end portion 140L for facilitating entry or" the lower beveled end portion 141L into a locking aperture 142 in the pinch clamp lever 72 (for vacuum tube 54) when such pinch clamp lever 72 is in the closed position (FIGS. 3, 4 and 6) and the locking aperture 142 is in registry with the pin 136. From a consideration of FIG. 3 it will be understood that while the vacuum line 54 is closed, the pinch clamp lever 96 (for the oxygen tube 86) may be either closed (not shown) or opened (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5).

As indicated in FIG. 12, after indexing of the duplexed heads 12 to Stations 39 and 40 and at the end of the dwell at such stations, a plunger (not shown, but similar to plunger 160) engages a roller 102C (FIGS. 2, 3 and 5) on the operating lever 90 to cause the pinching ofi of the oxygen tube 86. During the closing movement of the pinch clamp lever 96 a locking aperture 144 in such pinch clamp lever 96 moves into registry with an upper beveled end portion 14914 of the pin 136 and also into registry with the locking aperture 142 in the pinch clamp lever 72. The pin 136 is now free either to move upwardly or to remain in the down position shown in FIG. 3 in the hole 138, depending on further movement of either the pinch clamp lever 72 or the pinch clamp lever 96.

At Stations 41 and 42 (FIG. 12) the duplexed heads 12 and the photoiiash lamps 16 carried thereby enter apparatus for sealing off the photoflash lamps 16 and of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,940,231, issued June 14, 1960, to B. Chauvin. The exhaust tubulations 20 of the photoash lamps 16 are preheated at Stations 44-47; the two duplexed photoiiash lamps 16 are tipped ofi and discharged at Stations 48 and 49; and the duplexed heads 12 (with the residual exhaust tubulations still secured therein) leave the sealing off apparatus at Stations 51 and 52.

At Stations 53 and 54, a plunger 56 (FIG. 7) engages a roller 52 on each movable cam 38 and causes movement of the movable cam 38 upwardly a distance d1 from the position shown in FIG. 9 to the position shown in FIG. thereby releasing the compression rubber 32 to permit ejection of the residual portion of the exhaust tubulation from the head 12.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the objects of the present invention have been achieved by the provision of an improved exhaust machine which prevents the formation of explosive mixtures of oxygen and lubricating oil in the evacuating and gas-filling means of the exhaust machine thereby preventing the spontaneous combustion of such mixtures. In addition, the improved exhaust machine prevents contamination of the evacuating and gas-filling means with deleterious ambient air and lubricating oil thereby reducing shut-down time and maintenance expense. Use of the improved head for an exhaut machine prevents evacuation of the gaslling apparatus of the exhaust means by the evacuating means of such exhaust machine.

Alternatively, it is to be understood by those skilled in the art that the vacuum tube 54 of each head 12 and the above-described associated elements of the evacuating means may be disconnected from the pump (not shown) and connected to a second low pressure gas-supply means for such head 12.

While in accordance with the patent statutes a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be particularly understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby.

I claim:

1. A head for an exhaust and gas-filling machine, said head comprising:

(a.) a compression rubber assembly for hermetically securing a hollow member to be exhausted and gas filled;

(b) a first conduit connected to and in communication with said compression rubber assembly;

(c) a second conduit connected to and in communication with said compression rubber assembly;

(d) a iirst operating means disposed adjacent to said first conduit and operable to move into first-conduitclosing position to close off said first conduit, and said iirst operating means also operable to move into iirst-conduit-open position to permit said rst conduit to open, said irst operating means comprising a first pivoted pinch clamp lever and a lirst actuating roller which is movable to pivot said first pinch clamp lever to close said first conduit, said first roller after pivoting said rst pinch clamp lever to rstconduit-closing position locking said first pinch clamp lever in such conduit-closing position, and said first pinch clamp lever when pivoted to first-conduitopen position remaining in such conduit-open position until moved into conduit-closing position by said rst actuating roller;

(e) a second operating means disposed adjacent to said second conduit and operable to move into second-conduit-closing position to close oft said second conduit, and said second operating means also operable to move into second-conduit-open position to permit said second conduit to open, said second operating means comprising a second pivoted pinch clamp lever and a second actuating roller which is movable to pivot said second pinch clamp lever to close said second conduit, said second roller after pivoting said second pinch clamp lever to secondconduit-closing position locking said second pinch clamp lever in such conduit-closing position, and said second pinch clamp lever when pivoted to secondconduit-open position remaining in such conduitopen position until moved into conduit-closing position by said second actuating roller; and

(f) locking means reeiprocable between a position of locking engagement with said iirst operating means when in first-conduit-closing position and a position of locking engagement with said second operating means when in second-conduit-closing position, and the total reciprocation of said locking means limited so that said locking means is always in locking engagement With one of said first operating means and said second operating means.

2. The head as specified in claim 1, wherein said first conduit is flexible and normally remains in an open position, and said second conduit is flexible and normally remains in an open position.

3. In combination with a machine for exhausting and gas-filling a hollow member, said machine having a rotatable turret, and evacuating means and high-pressure-gas supply means associated with said machine, the improvement which comprises a head carried on said turret, said head comprising:

(a) a compression rubber assembly for hermetically securing a hollow member to be exhausted and gas filled; Y

(b) a rst conduit connectedto said evacuating means (b) a first conduit connected to and in communication with said compression rubber assembly; j (c) a second conduit connected to and in communication with said compression rubber assembly; (d) a rst operating means disposed adjacent to said first conduit and operable to move into first-conduitclosing position to close oit said first conduit, and

and in communication with said compression rubber assembly;

said rst operating means also operable to move into irst-conduit-open position to permit said first (c) a second conduit connected to said high-pressurel0 COIlduit t0 Open;

gas supply means and in communication with said (e) a second operating means disposed adjacent to compression rubberassembly; said second conduit and operable to move into sec- (d) a first operating means disposed adjacent to Said vond-conduit-closing position to close off said second first conduit and operable to move into first-conduit- Conduit, and said second Operating means also Operclosing position to close ofi said irst conduit, and able to move into second-conduit-open position to said rst operating means also operable to move into Permit Said Second Conduit t0 Open? and first-conduit-open position to permit said first con- (f) locking means reciprocable between a position of duit to open, said rst operating means comprising locking engagement with said irst operating means a iirst pivoted pinch clamp lever and a nist actuati when in rst-conduit-closing position and a position ing roller which is movable to pivot said first pinch -y 0f locking engagement with said second operating clamp lever to close said first conduit, said first roller 111621118 When in SeeOIld-eenduit-elOSing POSitiOn, and after pivoting said rst pinch clamp lever t0 rstthe total reciprocation of said locking means limited Conduit-closing position locking said irst pinch so that said locking means is always in locking enclamp lever in such conduit-closing position, and gagement with one of said iirst operating means and said first pinch clamp lever when pivoted to tirst- Said Second OPeating lneane 5. A head for an exhaust and gas-filling machine, said head comprising:

(a) a compression rubber assembly for hermetically securing a hollow member to be exhausted and gas conduit-open position remaining in such conduit- ,open position until moved into conduit-closing position by said first actuating roller;

(e) a second operating means disposed adjacent to said second conduit and operable to move into 'sec- 30- iiiied;

ond-conduit-closing position to close ott said second (b) a rSt Conduit Connected to and in Communication conduit, and said second operating means also operl With said compression rubber assembly;

able to move into second-conduit-open position to (C) a Second conduit connected to and in communicaperm'it said second conduit to open, said second tion with said compression rubber assembly; Operating means comprising a second pivoted pinch (d) a first operating means disposed adjacent to said clamp lever and a, second actuating roller which is rst conduit and operable to move into first-conduitmovable to pivot said second pinch clamp lever to CiOvSiIlg POSitiOn t0 eiOSe Ofi Said first Conduit, and close said second conduit, said second roliervafter Said rst operatingV means also operable to move piVOtng Sad Second pinch clamp lever to se'cond- 40 into first-conduit-open position to permit said first conduit-closing position locking said second pinch clamp lever in such conduit-closing position, and said second pinch clamp lever when pivoted tosecondconduit-open position remaining in such conduitopen position until moved into conduit-closing posirespect to said first stationary cam means' and said second stationary cam means to move said body in said head rst to compress said compression rubber conduit to open;

(e) a ysecond operating means disposed adjacent to said second conduit and operable to move into second-conduit-closing position to close oif said second conduit, and said second operatingmeans also opertion by said second actuating roller; and 40 able to moveV into second-conduit-open position to (f) locking means. reciprocable. between a position of Permit Said Second COIldut t0 Open; and

locking engagement with said first operating means ieekillg means reciprocable betWeen e Position 0f when in first-conduit-closing position and a position leeiing engagement With Said iiSt Operating Ineens of locking engagement with said second operating when in iirst-conduit-closing position and a position means when in second-conduit-ciosing position, and of locking engagement with said second Operatmg the total reciprocation of said locking means limited means when in second-conduit-closing position, and so that said locking means is always in locking enthe total reciprocation of said locking means limited gagement with one of said iirst operating means and so that said locking means is always in locking er1- said second operating means. gagement with one of said Iirst operating means and 4. A head for an exhaust and gas-filling machine, said Said second operating means, said locking means head comprising: comprising a pin having end portions reciprocable (a) a compression rubber assembly for hermetically between locking engagement with said irstoperating securing a hollow member to be exhausted'and gas means when in rst-eonduit-closing position and filled, said compression rubber assembly comprising locking engagement with said second operating a body reciprocable in said head, a compression rubmeans when in second-conduit-closing position, and ber in said body, a rst stationary cam means and the eIldS 0f Said Pin being beveled te facilitate Ie' a second stationary cam means disposedin spaced ciprocation of said pin when one of said first Operat' relationship, movable cam means connecting to said ing means and said second operating means 1s moved body, and said movable cam means movable with 55 out of locking engagement with said pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS about the hollow member to be hermetically secured 2,025,579 Donovan et al. 1 Dec. 24, 1935 and thereafter to permit said compression rubber 2,542,636 De Groat Feb. 20, 1951 to expand to allow the hollow member to be re- 2,841,179 Ott et al.A July 1, 1958 moved from said head; 3,054,425 Pribonic Sept. 18, 1962 

3. IN COMBINATION WITH A MACHINE FOR EXHAUSTING AND GAS-FILLING A HOLLOW MEMBER, SAID MACHINE HAVING A ROTATABLE TURRET, AND EVACUATING MEANS AND HIGH-PRESSURE-GAS SUPPLY MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID MACHINE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES A HEAD CARRIED ON SAID TURRET, SAID HEAD COMPRISING: (A) A COMPRESSION RUBBER ASSEMBLY FOR HERMETICALLY SECURING A HOLLOW MEMBER TO BE EXHAUSTED AND GAS FILLED; (B) A FIRST CONDUIT CONNECTED TO SAID EVACUATING MEANS AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID COMPRESSION RUBBER ASSEMBLY; (C) A SECOND CONDUIT CONNECTED TO SAID HIGH-PRESSUREGAS SUPPLY MEANS AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID COMPRESSION RUBBER ASSEMBLY; (D) A FIRST OPERATING MEANS DISPOSED ADJACENT TO SAID FIRST CONDUIT AND OPERABLE TO MOVE INTO FIRST-CONDUITCLOSING POSITION TO CLOSE OFF SAID FIRST CONDUIT, AND SAID FIRST OPERATING MEANS ALSO OPERABLE TO MOVE INTO FIRST-CONDUIT-OPEN POSITION TO PERMIT SAID FIRST CONDUIT TO OPEN, SAID FIRST OPERATING MEANS COMPRISING A FIRST PIVOTED PINCH CLAMP LEVER AND A FIRST ACTUATING ROLLER WHICH IS MOVABLE TO PIVOT SAID FIRST PINCH CLAMP LEVER TO CLOSE SAID FIRST CONDUIT, SAID FIRST ROLLER AFTER PIVOTING SAID FIRST PINCH CLAMP LEVER TO FIRSTCONDUIT-CLOSING POSITION LOCKING SAID FIRST PINCH CLAMP LEVER IN SUCH CONDUIT-CLOSING POSITION, AND SAID FIRST PINCH CLAMP LEVER WHEN PIVOTED TO FIRSTCONDUIT-OPEN POSITION REMAINING IN SUCH CONDUITOPEN POSITION UNTIL MOVED INTO CONDUIT-CLOSING POSITION BY SAID FIRST ACTUATING ROLLER; 